


Bucky's Recovery

by Buckybeardreams



Series: The Classifieds [38]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Romance, Brief glimpse of Littles, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Classifications, Littles Are Known, M/M, Multi, Physical Therapy, alternate universe - classifications, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:48:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27856221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckybeardreams/pseuds/Buckybeardreams
Summary: Bucky has Physical Therapy and recovers from surgery.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: The Classifieds [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898527
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	Bucky's Recovery

"He's progressing satisfactorily. My guess would be that he will have full use of his new arm by the end of the week. Dr Strange will be able to continue with his physical therapy, when you return home. I think two times a week for the first two weeks should do. Then, once a week after that, assuming he continues to improve at the current rate." Shuri explained, after Bucky's first therapy session with Strange.

"I'm not complaining, but how is he recovering so quickly. It took him longer to recover from losing the arm. That didn't even involve his spine." Sam questioned.

"Yes, well, you didn't have me then. It's a shame. The topical creams I've been applying to his back and shoulder are speeding up his recovery rate. I made them myself. I used them on Dr Strange's hands, as well as many of our own wounded. They have always proven to be quite successful. Even more so in Bucky's case, since the serum made him more durable."

Sam nodded.

"We were told he wouldn't have survived the fall otherwise." Sam said, his voice cracking.

"I believe that to be true." Shuri said, a sympathetic smile on her features. "He's scared, your Steven. Bucky holds back, because he doesn't want to worry him. It won't do him any good to do so. I suggest not having your Steven around Bucky when he is doing therapy."

* * *

*Bucky's first Physical Therapy session*

"This is the lamest PT, I've ever had. You know in the army PT is intensive training. Leaves you fit to be a soldier. This is not PT. This is pathetic. Wiggling my fingers." Bucky said, scoffing.

Strange laughed.

"You just got out of your sling five minutes ago. I'm just trying to ensure that it's functional and not painful at this point."

Bucky huffed, but lifted his arm as instructed. Twisted his wrist. Felt a light sting that shot down his spine when Strange instructed him to roll his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth, the doctor's sharp eyes noticing and making a note. He worked with Bucky for about half an hour. Not just on his new arm. He also had him walk around. They chatted. Well, Strange chatted. Bucky mostly just grunted, if he made any effort to reply at all.

Until, they started to head back that was. Bucky stopped Strange, a hand on his arm. The man raised a brow at him, but there was a knowing look in his eyes that told Bucky he knew exactly where this was heading. No need to beat around the bush, then.

"Don't fuck my boyfriend." He said, bluntly.

Strange nodded.

"I have no plans to."

Bucky blinked.

"Oh, well, good. Don't make any plans to. Tony doesn't need another boyfriend."

Strange's lips twitched into a smile, before he controlled his expression.

"I'm not interested in having sex with Tony, Bucky."

Bucky furrowed his brows at him. He was pretty sure this is the part where he was supposed to feel relieved.

"Why not? Tony's hot." Bucky blurted out, almost offended.

Strange laughed, and shook his head.

"He's pretty. He's brilliant. He's charming. I have nothing against him. I'm just not that interested in sex, in general. It's nothing against Tony."

"Oh. Okay. Well, if that ever changes. Do me the courtesy of telling me before you end up in bed with him."

Strange studied him for a moment.

"Do you worry Tony wouldn't tell you?"

"What? No, why would say that?"

Strange shrugged.

"Do you not want him to sleep with other people?"

Bucky looked at him like he was stupid.

"Of course not. He's mine."

Strange raised a brow at the automatic response.

"And Steve's?"

Bucky blinked, looking away.

"Well, yeah, I mean, of course, but that's different." He mumbled.

"Is it?"

"Yeah, I mean, me and Stevie share everything. We always have. I mean I'm not always so good about sharing my toys with him, but Tony's not a toy."

Strange chuckled.

"Have you ever talked to Tony about this?"

"About what?"

"About not wanting to share him with anyone, but Steve."

Bucky looked taken aback.

"I mean no, but he knows that."

"Hm, interesting. Is he a mind reader?"

Bucky glared at the teasing response, but then he swallowed and shifted uncertainly.

"He does know that, doesn't he?"

Strange looked amused by the question.

"How would I know that?"

"I don't know. You're smart and what not." Bucky snapped.

Strange tilted his head.

"I think we should go back now, don't you?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Bucky grumbled.

He kept glancing at the doctor on the way back. Strange didn't comment on it, if he noticed. 

By the end of it, Bucky refused to admit that he felt tired. He shouldn't, he'd been used to so much more as a soldier and an agent. Stephen instructed Sam to start giving Bucky green smoothies in the morning again, and suddenly his energy sky rocketed. He found that he could do much more than ever before. His next session far surpassing stupid things like lifting his arm. Shuri continued to apply salve to his wounds as well. It worked like a miracle.

* * *

After five days in a sling and limiting his movements, Bucky spent a week being given physical therapy everyday. By the end of it, Shuri was right, he had his full range of movement back and felt better than ever. The arm was strong. Stronger than his flesh one, and Bucky was never what one could describe as weak or scrawny.

Soon, they were flying back home.

As much as the arm was amazing, in ways Bucky hated it. He wanted to hide it. The constant reminder that he'd lost one in the first place. He wouldn't say it was worse than the reminder that not having an arm there was, but it was a different kind of bad. One that made it feel like he'd rather dress it up and pretend he was normal and never lost one in the first place.

There was more fear with having this new arm, than existed with having only one arm. He was capable of so much more now than he's ever been capable of. He was in aw, but also terrified of what that meant. Of how easily he could accidentally hurt someone he cared about.

Bucky had always been a touch concerned that he could hurt Tony, because of the serum and the mere fact that he worked out a lot as an agent, but Tony wasn't scrawny or weak. He might reject lifting weights and god forbid they try to get him to join them for a run, but Tony worked in his lab on his projects, and on his cars. The smaller man could hold his own, even if he'd never be as strong as Steve and Bucky.

Now, Bucky's left arm was even stronger. Strong enough that he could do some serious damage to Steve, not that he'd ever try to. There was always the chance that he could accidentally hurt one of them, especially Tony. It made him afraid to touch them with that arm. It made him afraid of himself.

It reminded him of the way Elsa had been afraid to be around her sister. She loved her so much that the thought of hurting her, even if it was an accident, was unbearable. She had to hide away and stay away from Anna for her sister's sake. Even if it hurt both of them.

"You know, I used to feel more like Anna. Now, I understand Elsa in a way I never could before." Bucky muttered.

Tony raised a brow at him.

"That's random."

"Not really." Bucky said.

His eyes traveled to the gloves covering his hands, hiding the metal one. Tony noticed, and bit his lip.

"You don't have to hide it." He blurted out.

Bucky laughed, but it sound more depressing than anything else.

"Yeah, I do."

Bucky pushed away from him. Tony's hand shot out to grab his. Wrapping around the hard fingers.

"No, don't go. Don't push me away."

Bucky swallowed. He looked like he wanted to bolt, but he sat back down, with a heavy sigh. Gently pulling his hand out from under Tony's.

"I'm scared, Tony. I'm scared that I'm gonna hurt you, or Stevie, or both of ya. I'm scared that I'm- that I'm a monster. That I'm something to fear, to be scared of."

Tony's eyes widened.

"No, love. You're not. You're beautiful."

Bucky's head fell into his hand, his head shaking slightly.

"Don't say that. Please just don't."

"Why? Do you-" Tony sucked in a breath. "Do you really hate it?"

Bucky glanced up at him.

"No, doll. That's not it at all. It's amazing. A little too amazing. Really it is. I'm passing now. When the arm's covered, noone can even tell I was ever missing one. Noone can tell that I'm damaged."

Tony frowned, his hands cupping Bucky's face.

"Look at me, and listen closely to what I say. You're not damaged, babe. You're traumatized, and hurt, and maybe your depressed or angry. You're not damaged. You're not broken. Even when you shatter into a million pieces and you feel like everything is lost, I promise to pick the pieces back up. To put you back together."

Bucky sucked in a shaky breath, nuzzling against the palm of Tony's hand. He shut his eyes.

"Tony." He breathed out, the sound barely audible, but terribly sad.

"Take it from me, Bucky. You don't have to have a heart of iron. It's okay to shatter, because the people you love will remind you how to be whole again. Feeling brittle, or weak inside, doesn't mean you lack inner strength. Or something. I think Sam would say something like that. You know, the sort of thing that sounds all wise and therapist like."

Bucky laughed, short and lacking humor. His hands wrapped around Tony's wrist pulling his hand away, ever so carefully. Like every movement was carefully calculated, deliberately gentle.

"I appreciate the attempt, Tony, but I don't think I have a heart of iron. It's more like ice."

Tony shook his head.

"No, you're not cold like ice, babe. I don't believe that one bit. You're not Elsa. You're Bucky Barnes. Charming, gorgeous, a smooth talker. Sure you can be reserved at times, but I love that about you. I love that you can be cocky one minute and shy the next. I love _you_. All of you."

Bucky bit his lip.

"Okay." He mumbled.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I don't really believe it, but I don't want to fight with you about it. I'm so sick of fighting. Okay, I love you, too. Even when I don't agree with you."

"You really think you're made of ice?" Tony questioned.

"Maybe, but you know, some people are worth melting for." Bucky said, his voice taking on a lighter, tone, almost teasing.

Tony raised a brow.

"Are you seriously quoting Olaf right now? I can't believe I'm in love with you. You're Frozen obsessed, even when you're Big."

"Hey, do you know how many times I've heard you sing along with the sharing song?"

"Not nearly as many times as I've heard you sing let it go."

Bucky laughed for real this time, and Tony smiled.

"Come on, let's go join everyone for dinner. I'm sure they're eager to see your new arm." Tony teased.

Bucky rolled his eyes, but let Tony lead him to the elevator. It was one of those rare occasions when Steve was the only one Little. He was chatting excitedly with Billy, who was sitting on Teddy's lap. Bucky shared a smile with Tony as the boy waved his hands animatedly.

"He takes after you in that way." Bucky teased.

"The hands, sure, but his charm he got from both of us."

Afterwards, they returned to the penthouse and Bucky couldn't seem to get his conversation with Strange out of his head. It took a while for him to work up the confidence to broach the subject.

"Uh, Tony?" He questioned, his uncertainty noticable in the waver of his voice.

"What's up, love?" Tony asked, glancing up from his Stark pad.

"I just, um, do you want-? I mean, god I don't know how to say this." Bucky mumbled, stumbling over the words.

Tony gave him a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

Bucky closed his eyes, regretting even bringing it up.

"Do you want sleep with other people? Or have other partners? Or whatever?" He blurted out.

Tony's eyes widened and he set down his Stark pad. He shifted, until his was straddling Bucky and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Is this about Stephen?"

"Don't call him that." Bucky groaned.

Tony looked amused.

"Why?"

"Cause, it's weird. Isn't it weird?"

Tony laughed.

"Okay, whatever, Strange then. Is this about him?"

Bucky sighed.

"I know you're flirty and I know that's just something you do. I was like that before the war, even when I was with Steve, I always flirted with other people, so I get it. I'm not gonna say I'm thrilled to share you like that, but I don't want you to fuck someone else. I don't know if I can share you like that. It's always just been me and Stevie, and adding you-" He paused, his eyes flicking down to Tony's lips. "It turned out to be the best thing we've ever done. But what are the chances we could do that again without ruining everything."

Tony hummed and nuzzled against him, their noses brushing, before kissing him.

"I'm not going to fuck Ste-Strange." He corrected, when Bucky narrowed his eyes. "If I was, I'd talk to you and Steve about it first. He was interesting. I think we have a lot in common. I can't promise you that I'll never want something more with someone else, whether that someone's Strange or not. I'm not gonna just cheat on you guys. I know we're not in an open relationship. It's pretty obvious that you two have a pretty monogamous view on relationships. The fact that you even chose to be with me is already a big step for you and Steve. I'm okay with that. I committed to this, to us. I don't need you to let me sleep around and I sure as hell am not gonna do it, without talking about whether or not we want to be in that kind of a relationship."

"What? A cheating one?"

Tony rolled his eyes, but there was a playful smile on his lips.

"It's not cheating to be in an open relationship, love. As long as all partners agree with it, then by definition it's not cheating. If you're hiding it, or lying about it, or your partners have made it clear they're not okay with it, then it's cheating. I'm not a cheater, Bucky. Even if I'm gorgeous and charming."

Bucky nodded, smirking.

"Okay." He said and smashed their lips together.

"Okay?" Tony asked, pulling back to search Bucky's eyes. "You believe me?"

"Of course, I do, doll. I can accept that you're a flirt, as long as you're my flirt."

"And Steve's." Tony added.

"Yeah, as long as your ours, and only ours." Bucky reiterated.

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever you say, babe."

Bucky smirked and rolled them over, pinning Tony down.

"I do say." He muttered, nipping at his jaw.

"Yeah, whatever. Just kiss me."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting!
> 
> Also guys, I just discovered discord, I know I'm late to the game, but yeah, if anyones interested in having a place to further chat about the story or just to share about your lives and chat with me, lemme know.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @BuckyBearDreams


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